EZ1 Travel Brush

ABSTRACT

The invention provides a portable toothbrush with toothpaste inside the handle. The EZ 1 Travel Brush contains an insertable cartridge prefilled with toothpaste. A fully assembled EZ 1 Travel Located at the proximal end of the handle, where the unit is held, is a small circular dispensing button. Connected to an internal plunger assembly, this button is twisted clockwise to dispense toothpaste from within the brush onto the bristles.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This patent application claims priority under 35 USC 119(e) (1) fromU.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/634,343 filed Feb. 27,2012, of common inventorship herewith entitled, “EZ1 Travel Brush.”

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to the field of dental accessories, andmore specifically to the field of toothbrushes and toothpaste.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The prior art has put forth several designs for toothbrushes dispensingtoothpaste. Among these are:

U.S. Pat. No. 6,808,331 to Seott E. Hall, James N. Larimer, KevinMiller, Richard Thylor and Kevin T. Underwood describes a fluiddispensing and refilling system for a power toothbrush. The fluiddelivery and refilling system includes a unit of use fluid reservoir fordentifrice or medication within a head portion of a power toothbrush,which is removable from the remainder thereof. A pump element is locatedin the brush head and is configured so that the back and forth movementof the brush head in operation results in fluid moving from thereservoir to a dispensing valve located in the brush head. Thedispensing valve has an end portion which is normally closed, openingunder pressure of fluid from the pump. The refilling assembly isseparate from the toothbrush and is configured to fit over the top ofthe toothbrush. Upward pressure exerted on the toothbrush when thetoothbrush is within the refilling assembly results in movement of acore element in the refilling assembly, which in turn results in ahollow needle in the refilling assembly extending into a refiller valvein the head portion of the toothbrush. This results in a fluid pathbetween the refilling assembly and the reservoir in the toothbrush. Aselected sequence of movement of the toothbrush relative to therefilling results in fluid being moved from the external reservoirthrough the needle into the on board unit of use reservoir in thetoothbrush.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,957,925 to Erin J. Jacobs and J. Scott McDonalddescribes a toothpaste dispensing automatic toothbrush that includes ahead member mounted atop a body member with a brush head releasablycoupled to the head member. A reservoir for containing toothpaste ispositioned in the body member along with a pump assembly and firstmotor. The first motor is connected to a battery and drives the pumpassembly when actuated by depression of a first switch whereby to urgetoothpaste from the reservoir through a channel and onto bristles of thebrush head. The brush head includes a rotor with rotor bristles that isoperatively connected to a second motor. The second motor may beenergized upon actuation of a second switch to cause movement of therotor. A recharging base may be included for recharging a rechargeabletoothbrush battery.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,070,354 to Gustavo Gutlerrez-Caroa describes a handoperable toothbrush for selectively dispensing dentifrice that includesa proximal section defining a reservoir and a distal section defining abristle section including a mechanism for engaging the proximal section.The bristle section includes a head portion including a plurality ofspaced bristles and a power mechanism for vibrating same. The toothbrushalso includes a dispensing mechanism for manually adjusting a volume ofthe reservoir and thereby causing dentifrice to dissipate outwardly fromthe reservoir and head portion as needed. The dispensing mechanismincludes a gasket engaged with the distal section and a snap ringpositioned within the reservoir. The dispensing mechanism and the powermechanism are independently operable.

None of these prior art references describe the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable andrefillable toothbrush with toothpaste inside it.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 are two perspective front inside views, one view showing acollapsible toothpaste cartridge with capped ends and the other viewshowing a prototypical toothbrush with a detachable twist off forinserting a toothpaste cartridge.

FIG. 2 is a perspective side view showing a toothpaste dispensing tubeextending to bristles and a toothpaste plunger at the base of thehandle.

FIG. 3 is a functional front view showing a detachable twist offinterchangeable head, a stopper and a twist to turn plunger for pushingup toothpaste.

FIG. 4 is a zoom front view of a snap on cap for opening where thetoothpaste comes through the head holding the toothbrush bristles.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Brushing one's teeth is an integral part of healthy hygiene. In additionto freshening breath and strengthening teeth, proper brushing killsgerms and bacteria that can grow inside one's mouth. Tooth decay is achronic childhood disease. Adults also suffer from various forms ofdental disease that often lead to painful oral surgeries and costlytrips to the dentist. Vast improvements regarding oral health issueshave occurred in the past fifty years. Through dental education and aconcerted effort towards good oral hygiene, the number of adults andchildren suffering from dental disease has been reduced significantly.

To have a healthy smile, one's teeth need to be brushed at least twicedaily, preferably after meals. This recommendation often proves to beeasier said than done. With the hustle and bustle of busy work andschool days, it is impractical to cart around a toothbrush and a bulkymessy tube of toothpaste. So individuals are unable to brush their teethafter a lunch meeting or immediately following an afternoon snack. Thelonger food particles remain in the mouth, the more the teeth aresusceptible to the formation of cavities and decay. Those individualswho are enjoying a leisurely day of shopping or travel face this dilemmaas well. Whether juggling shopping bags or taking in sights, one findsit inexpedient to properly care for oral health after every quick bite.

The present invention, hereinafter referred to as an EZ 1 Travel Brush,is a portable toothbrush with toothpaste inside the handle. The presentinvention to provides consumers with a convenient and hygienic means ofbrushing the teeth while on the go. The EZ 1 Travel Brush contains aninsertable cartridge prefilled with toothpaste. A fully assembled EZ 1Travel Brush measures approximately the same length as a standardtoothbrush and is designed in an ergonomic hourglass shape. Thedetachable and replaceable heads of the EZ 1 Travel Brush comprise shortand fiber crisscrossing bristles with beveled edges to facilitate acleaning that is both effective and comfortable. The bristles arefabricated and offered in soft or hard textures depending on thepreference of the user. Several distinguishing characteristics set thisuniquely designed toothbrush apart from standard toothbrushes. A smallcircular flap like opening is positioned within the rows of bristles,serving as an egress for toothpaste. The cylindrical handle of the brushserves as a receptacle for the toothpaste stored inside the unit.Located at the proximal end of the handle, where the unit is held, is asmall circular dispensing button. Connected to an internal plungerassembly, this button is twisted to dispense toothpaste from within thebrush onto the bristles.

The EZ 1 Travel Brush is packaged within a durable plastic casing toprotect the unit from airborne germs and bacteria when not in use. Fourprefilled toothpaste cartridges and three replaceable brush heads areincluded with the EZ 1 Travel Brush. The present invention ismanufactured in a variety of attractive and eye catching colorsincluding red, green, pink, yellow, black, white, purple, orange andblue. The toothpaste cartridges contain an array of paste flavors suchas mint and bubble gum, along with different types of toothpastes andgels such as extra whitening and tartar control.

Use of the EZ 1 Travel Brush is very simple and straightforward. First,the user includes an encased EZ 1 Travel Brush before heading out on anintended activity. A business executive may slip a unit into hisinterior coat pocket on his way to work. Similarly, a mother embarkingon a shopping expedition may insert a EZ 1 Travel Brush into her purse.Following a meal, the user removes the EZ 1 Travel Brush from itsplastic casing. By simply twisting the dispenser button in a clockwisemanner, the toothpaste is channeled through the handle and neck of thebrush and dispensed through the opening within the rows of bristles.After the desired amount of toothpaste has been dispensed, the userbrushes their teeth as normal. Each EZ 1 Travel Brush cartridge containsenough toothpaste for approximately thirty days of applications. Thecartridge is stored conveniently within its plastic casing when not inuse. After dispensing all the paste from the cartridge, the userconveniently disposes the cartridge and replaces it with a fullcartridge. The head of the unit is replaced after approximately a monthof usage.

Compact and lightweight, the EZ 1 Travel Brush allows users to accessproper oral hygiene anytime and is carried easily in a clothes pocket,purse or backpack. Able to brush the teeth any time of day, consumersare equipped to fight the battle against cavities and tooth decay. Easyto use, consumers appreciate the effortless twist of fresh toothpasteonto the bristles of the EZ 1 Travel Brush with the handy dispensingbutton. When used at home, the practical toothbrush and toothpastecombination frees much needed counter space from bulky and messy tubesof toothpaste. As toothpaste easily falls off the brush head or washesoff completely while brushing, the EZ 1 Travel Brush eliminates the needto keep reapplying paste from a separate container. This product isespecially convenient for travelers. Easily packed into any shaving kit,travel bag or carry on suitcase, the EZ 1 Travel Brush eliminates theneed for cumbersome toothpaste tubes that sometimes leak on to one'sbelongings. Available in hotel vending machines, gift shops and lobbydesks, the EZ 1 Travel Brush provides a quick and sanitary solution forthose who have left their toothbrush and paste at home.

Although this invention has been described with respect to specificembodiments, it is not intended to be limited thereto and variousmodifications which will become apparent to the person of ordinary skillin the art are intended to fall within the spirit and scope of theinvention as described herein taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings and the appended claims.

1. A portable and refillable toothbrush device with a toothpaste filledcartridge inside, comprising: an elongate cylindrical handle forreceiving a cartridge, wherein the cartridge is filled with toothpaste,further comprising a detachable and replaceable head, wherein the headcomprises short and fiber crisscrossing bristles with beveled edges tofacilitate a cleaning that is both effective and comfortable.
 2. Thedevice of claim 1 wherein the bristles are fabricated and offered insoft or hard textures depending on the preference of the user.
 3. Thedevice of claim further comprising a small circular flap openingpositioned within the rows of bristles, serving as an egress fortoothpaste.
 4. The device of claim 3 wherein located at the proximal endof the handle, where the unit is held, is a small circular dispensingbutton, wherein the button is connected to an internal plunger assembly,and the button is twisted clockwise to dispense toothpaste from withinthe brush onto the bristles.
 5. The device of claim 4, wherein the ispackaged within a durable plastic casing to protect the unit fromairborne germs and bacteria when not in use.
 6. The device of claim 1wherein the toothpaste cartridges contain toothpaste selected form thegroup consisting of flavors such as mint and bubble gum, toothpaste andgel such as extra whitening and tartar control.